Exploring the chemistry of biological interactions
We are a chemical synthesis and natural products group. We find the molecules plants, microbes and insects use to defend themselves, signal to one another and survive extreme environments, and then we make them: natural products, their analogs, and the new reactions it takes to build them.
Source of antiherbivore prenylated benzoic acids
J. Nat. Prod. 2014
Inside the group
Our research, the people doing it, and where it is headed.
Synthesis & discovery
Total synthesis, natural products, chemical ecology and microbial sunscreens, from the field to the lab.
The team
Prof. Jeffrey, our students and staff, and where our alumni are now.
Latest from the group
Profiles, papers, courses and coverage in Nevada Today and beyond.
Papers & patents
A searchable list of articles, chapters and patents.
Hitchcock Center & Tahoe Discovery Lab
Our home at UNR and our innovation hub at Lake Tahoe.
In the lab & field
From Ecuadorian cloud forests to the bench in Reno.
Join the group
We welcome students who want to work across the boundary of chemistry and biology. Email Prof. Jeffrey at cjeffrey@unr.edu.
Graduate students
We are looking for students excited about organic synthesis, natural products or chemical ecology. Apply through the UNR Department of Chemistry graduate program or the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Ph.D. program, and mention the Jeffrey group in your statement. Contact Prof. Jeffrey before applying.
Undergraduates
Research positions open each semester for students with organic chemistry experience. Email a short note about your interests and schedule.
Collaborators & industry
Partnerships in analytical chemistry, natural products and sustainable innovation run through the Hitchcock Center and the Tahoe Discovery Lab.